Notes from Clarinet Camerata
A Brand and a Plan Separate the Music Pros from the Wannabes
September 28, 2022
Music is your art. It also is your business. If you’re ready to get out of your starving-artist phase of your career or elevate your presence, you will need two things. 1. A business plan, which is your roadmap to financial success. 2. A brand identity, which comprises the image, sound, and style you want to project to your audience and industry shot callers. They both sound like fairly straightforward propositions. But creating an effective business plan and memorable brand identity—both of which are the foundation of an artistically and financially rewarding career—takes time, thought, and effort. Unfortunately, too many artists get bogged down in the business of music. In most cases, that’s because our brains aren’t wired for it … we’re just not interested in the minutiae of business. Those who do take it on, though, are able to differentiate themselves from other performers, acts, producers, teachers, and other musical professionals in their space. Let’s start with the second thing first: Establishing a brand identity. It’s the more creative of the two. It’s what you want people to think of first when they think of you. Conversely, when people think of your artistic métier, it’s what causes them to think of you. Be your own creative director. Keep it simple if you want to be the local singer-songwriter who packs them in to the intimate venues. Think Beyonce if you dream of bright lights and big cities. Perhaps you want to present yourself as a highly knowledgeable educator. Or as the go-to person for instruments and repair who is also a highly skilled performer. Brand identities can evolve, but radical changes can wreck all of the work you’ve put into it. Bob Dylan went through all kinds of phases, but he was always Bob Dylan. Design your brand identity to build awareness of your music and skills. A memorable brand serves two purposes. 1. It establishes your reputation, earns a following, and makes money. 2. It helps you develop consistent and intentional presentation, marketing, and promotional strategies. Your brand identity is no small thing. Your market includes fans, industry professionals, potential students, acts that are looking for others to join the playbill, and promoters—and your brand is the first thing they think of when they think of you. Coming up with your brand. If it helps, think of your brand as the way you express your talent in words, images, and other media. It’s the way you express your music into your written and visual communications or through physical products you sell or services you offer. Your brand assets are the details that ladder up to your overall brand image and business plan, such as: · Your visual identity, including stage presence, wardrobe, logo, website design and content, media photos, catchphrases, merch, and more. · Voice and tone of messaging, including how you express yourself on stage, through social media, online, and more. · Your back story, including key aspects of your personal and musical biography. · Musical project story, including why you write or perform certain pieces or types of music and why you may have decided to sell musical instruments or learn to fix them. Your why is what will motivate those interested in you to come take a closer look. These are the ingredients. Here’s how you cook up your brand: Getting started with branding Why do you want to build your brand? Why is the critical question in branding. Your why should connect with why your audience is interested in yours. So, why do you want to: · Separate yourself, your ensemble, band, or your music from others? · Find more gigs? · Move into the big time? · Become an influencer? Your reason for branding may be one of these things, a combination of them, or something completely different. You are your brand. Once you know why you want to brand, you can move on to writing your brand statement. Your brand statement should clearly define who you are as a musician, ensemble, or band, what you stand for, what makes you different, and the value you provide. Some examples of musical brand statements include: · Fans of old-school rebel rock will shake their fists in solidarity with our commitment to letting the dogs bark against war, racism, corporate America, cultural imperialism, and government oppression. · Aficionados of soaring arias will fight back the tears when they hear my interpretations of Violetta, Mimi, and Tosca. · Musical adventurers will join us as we explore the biomusic of emotion expressed through our unique sound-based compositions inspired by the songs of the whales, birds, and nature. · Performers of all ages can rely on my artistic skills to help them acquire instruments appropriate to their ability and ambition and locate artisans for quality repairs. Brand messages are very clear, and you know what to expect from each individual or act. Use these questions to help you come up with your unique brand statement. · Why do I make music? · Why do I make the particular kind of music I make or offer the services I do? · How do I feel when I deliver my music and services to others? · How do I want others to feel when they listen to my music or experience the products or services I can deliver? · What do I want others to take away from a performance or their experience working with me? The answers are as long or short as you want them to be. They’re not carved in stone, so you can rethink them as you move through the exercise; one thing might cause you to think of something else. What you’re trying to do is capture the essence of you, your group, or the products or services you deliver. Sometimes it helps to use visuals in a mood board rather than words to help you come up with your brand statement. You will probably see a lot of what you’re already doing in your brand statement. But it’s important to nail it down and stick with it. A brand promises consistency: Harley-Davidson riders crave the freedom of the open road and Harley delivers every time they thumb the start button. Identifying your business goals. If money is on your wish list, you are in business. That means you need specific business goals, a plan for achieving them, and milestones to keep you focused. Ask yourself: Why am I developing my brand NOW? Your business plan should detail how you plan to: · Develop relationships with performers and influencers so you can become a go-to repair technician. · Build your presence on social media so you can springboard yourself into viral fame. · Teach students and help them become the best musicians they can be. · Prove yourself as a top-performing musician and leverage your abilities and knowledge into musical instrument sales to make money when you are not performing. · Connect with concert promoters internationally that could take your career to the next level. · Develop a portfolio career as a performer, teacher, and purveyor of quality musical instruments so you are the go-to-person in your community and beyond. If you’re still not clear on your business goals—or have any doubts about them—ask yourself these questions as a reality check. They’ll help you understand yourself better. · Are you prolific, or does it take you a long time to complete projects? · Do you prefer to collaborate, or do you like to work alone? · Do you like helping other artists out, or do you prefer to focus on your own work? · Do you like using your smartphone and laptop? · How do you like connecting with people on social media? · Are you comfortable with marketing or would you prefer if someone else handles it for you? · Do you like being on stage? · Does performing energize you or make you a nervous wreck? · Do like working behind the scenes? · Do you prefer to perform or teach? · Do you enjoy touring and traveling, or do you want to stay close to home? · Do you like variety and see doing a little bit of a few things more exciting than focusing all your time on just one? This is how you put together an effective, focused business plan, which is the foundation for success. Once you have defined your longer-term goals, establish your milestones. For example: · Play one gig each week so you can meet and get on the radar of more music professionals. · Learn repair so you can use your skill and performance knowledge to help others. · Compose for 10 local commercials this year so you can get the exposure and experience you need to get national opportunities. · Expand your social media following by 50 percent so you can grow your fan base. · Become a musical instruments consultant so you save up enough to finally tour with your ensemble next year. · Complete your education so you are qualified to teach. Coming up with your brand. Now that you have a brand statement and some business goals, you can start planning the brand assets you need to support the marketing and communication efforts it will take to reach your goals. You may not need everything presented in this section. For example, if your goal is to be a saxophone teacher, you may not need a logo, but you might if you teach, repair, and sell instruments. Voice and tone How you communicate with your audience may be a more important element of your brand than your visual identifiers. Your voice and tone communicate your attitude and personality and explains to people in your audience base who you are and what you stand for. Your voice and tone should align with what’s communicated in your brand statement. It could be expressed in a single term, such as “intelligent” or with multiple words, like “intelligent, witty, and thoughtful.” Use as many words as it takes to define how you want to say what you need to say to your audience and people in your target market. Some examples of voice and tone words include: · Fun · Knowledgeable · Skilled · Upbeat · Kind · Sassy · Elegant · Casual · Formal · Inclusive · Condescending · Goofy · Casual · Formal · Cheesy · Dry · Direct · Indirect · And more. Identifying the right words will help ensure your brand messages will be communicated in a consistent way. Brand assets Come up with a list of brand assets—the things you’ll need to market yourself so you can achieve your goals. Some typical assets for musicians include: · Logo · Imagery · Typeface · Website design · Social media banner and post design · Artist photos · Wardrobe · Key messages · Catchphrase · Colors, and · Video style. Most musicians don’t have the skills it takes to define and develop brand assets. The good news is that once you’ve written a brand statement, defined your business goals, and identified the brand assets you’ll need, you can work with designers and communicators who can create professional-looking and sounding assets. It’s likely that you have graphic designers, writers, social media experts, and other marketing professionals who can help you out in your fan base. Or you can find them online through a source like Upwork. (Look for people with music industry experience.) The good news is that if you’ve done all the leg work explained in this article, hiring and working with professionals should be easy and efficient. In the end, if you want to make money as a musician, you’ll need a brand and business plan to succeed. The clearer you are on who you are and where you are going, the easier it will be to find your fan base. It’s the only way you’ll be able to differentiate yourself from other musicians and keep you on track toward fully realizing your vision for your future and achieving your goals.
Social Media 101: The A-Z Guide on Getting Followers
November 7, 2022
Funny cat videos, shuffle dancing, or homemade karaoke is pretty addicting to watch, but it’s not the definition of the true value of social media. The way the world thinks, communicates, interacts, and expresses itself has been morphed by the evolution of social media. For business owners and entrepreneurs, social media has also been at the forefront of how we provide customer service, interaction, and transparency of products, goods, services, etc. Companies and brands are expected to have a significant social media presence, which of course applies to music instructors, tutors, performers, and owners of music stores. While there are many social media platforms and different types of posting abilities, it may sometimes come as a bit intimidating and overwhelming to integrate social media into your marketing plan—especially for those in the music business who shiver at the thought of the words “marketing plan” or “marketing strategy.” But that’s the beauty of social media, as it is a very low-cost barrier to entry. There is a primary investment of time, but the results can be impactful without worrying about out-of-pocket costs to deploy. Assuming you have taken the plunge and opened a few social media accounts on platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc., this is a great start! The goal then is to gain as many followers as you can since this will be your audience and future clients. If you were the owner of a retail store, social media followers are the equivalent of more people walking through your front door to see what your retail business has to offer. It’s a numbers game, so by increasing your potential customer base, you increase your revenues. For existing clients, your fresh social media posts can be shared, which would expand your market reach without any additional costs to you. Along with that motivation, a study done by the Brevet Group, indicates 78% of people in sales who also use social media outsell the competition! So, lets dive into gaining followers. You may have heard of the expression “content is king.” It was penned by Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, in a 1996 essay he wrote. He described the future of the internet as a marketplace for content and that success of a website was dependent on quality content. Flash forward to 2022, and the same holds true for social media, which is an integral and evolving part of your online presence. Now that you have signed up for a few social media platforms, it’s time to start creating and posting content—whether its copy, audio, images, or video. Anything that is written is considered copy. Why did we use the word “copy” instead of prose or poetry? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines copy as “text especially as an advertisement.” We are not just talking about paid ads, but an important definition that needs to be remembered. Every word published on your social media channels pertaining to your music business should be treated as advertising. Informative copy educates, entertains, and piques interest that is not too much of a hard sale. After crafting copy, it’s a good idea to also include some ‘call to action’ to increase business. Whether it’s a link to your ecommerce page, or even a product that someone can buy directly from your Facebook or Instagram page, a call to action is a necessary part of your marketing. What is the best kind of copy that you should write? For music, we highly recommend creating a blog with fresh and updated content. If you teach music, write about topics relevant to the instruments you teach, including tips, tricks, challenges, solutions, etc. The more articles that you create, the more followers you can gain, especially if you educate yourself on SEO keyword blog titles for high rankings. The blog content should be relatively short. 300-500 words is an ideal range, especially if the topic can be adequately covered and indexed by search engines. Unless you have an extremely compelling article, try not to exceed 1000 words. For larger blog posts, perhaps break it down into a Part 1 & Part 2. If you are using platforms like Facebook or Instagram to redirect readers to your blog or websites, keep the descriptions short and leave some room for hashtags. Sharing audio files if you are in the music business is a superb way to gain followers. Be sure to include inspirational pieces, new and original recordings, and an example of your audio music lessons. And don’t forget about podcasting. Their popularity and reach is growing, which can translate into more growth for you. If you do decide to venture into this amazing space, we suggest keeping the episodes short and sweet to increase curiosity and engagements for the next podcast episode. High resolution images are also key to integrate with copy, as well as by themselves. Want to share a specific fingering technique? If you attempt to do so via words only, many users may question your commitment. Adding a high-definition image to a blog will be instructional gold, especially, if you redirect that image from an Instagram or Facebook post. Always remember that images should be original and not copied from other sites. Focus on making sure the image is relevant, informative, interesting, and sharable. There is no arguing that in person, one-on-one time with a music teacher is the best way someone can learn how to play an instrument or improve their technique. But interactive videos are also invaluable. Investing in an inexpensive smartphone tripod on Amazon can help you create and post videos fairly quickly. You can also use your laptop’s or PC’s built in camera and editing apps to create great video content. Don’t try to be Steven Spielberg, as simplicity is key. Along with quality instructional content, and just like with other content, you can start building a video library for your students and others to share. You can also share videos that may be inspirational and ignite the passions of your students and followers. If you keep them simple and short, there will be little editing to do. It’s much easier to make a mistake and reshoot a one-minute video, then to do something longer and re-edit it. If you do decide to shoot longer video content, there are plenty of editing software options on your Mac or PC or even smartphone editing apps that can give you a more refined and polished look. Make sure you follow copyright laws and educate yourself about ‘Creative Commons’ license types. You will be able to generate more content and easily use third-party content so you can constantly create fresh copy, images, audio, and video, which will increase your followers. Remember to focus on quality vs quantity. You don’t want to lose focus and post non-topic content, as you will lose followers. As long as you keep the content relevant, informative, interesting, and entertaining, your followers will magically keep growing! A few other suggestions. Try to be consistent when posting content. It’s better to post once a week, then load up five posts back-to-back and then ghost your followers for a bit. While tech is evolving and makes people binge on content, there is an excitement and anticipation for new things that are consistent, regular, and inquisitive. Off course there are times when you may post more often if you are running a specific campaign with a deadline. Or perhaps you are running a contest where a follower will be eligible to win an instrument. Please be aware that campaigns with end times may increase your follower base, but then level off—especially if it was an impulsive reason why a new user started following you. This is fine as long as you go back to resuming fresh and consistent content that will engage them. When you are just starting out, breathe and pace yourself. Eventually, you can aspire to have a team of creative people on staff. But for right now, you are most likely a solopreneur and doing the duties of the writer, photographer, recorder, player, instructor, editor, and cinematographer. Start with just one post a week. Whether it’s a blog post, image, or video, make sure each one is informative and well researched. Eventually, you can increase the output of your posts, videos, podcast, or other media. As long as your content is compelling your followers will increase. Starting small and increasing your volume takes time. But, if all you have is just one original video to produce a week, you can post across multiple social media and video platforms. Wouldn’t I be cheating to crosspost my videos across YouTube, Vimeo, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and even TikTok? The beauty and brilliance of posting across many channels and platforms is that certain people may gravitate more toward one than another. Some are obsessed with Instagram, but rarely check Facebook. Crossposting also helps with SEO (search engine optimization), but we will dive into those details in a future article. One last bit of advice. Don’t try to produce viral content. It is best saved for when you have amassed a strong following. While many tout the benefits of viral marketing, there is no rhyme or reason between the 10 million view ‘cat tennis player’ video or the 300 view ‘cat chef making waffles’ video. Further, you probably do not have the resources to handle 10 million viewers and any follow up inquiries! Gaining followers is an adventure that will eventually pay off over time. Don’t have any doubts about jumping in and getting started. The journey of thousands or millions of followers begins with planting the seed of just one post.
Finding and Collaborating with the Right Musical Partners
January 9th, 2023
Playing with another musician can be invigorating, pleasurable, and powerful. But if you’re used to playing solo, establishing a mutually satisfying relationship will take some work and self-reflection. “If you want to find the right person,” so the adage goes, “be the right person.” With that in mind, let’s look at some bases you should touch on your way to forming a harmonious musical partnership. The right partner: Whether you’re forming a duet, quartet, band, or larger ensemble, finding the right partners—not necessarily the best musicians—is crucial to your group’s success, peace of mind, and enjoyment. Herb Brooks, the coach of the “Miracle on Ice” American ice hockey team, illustrated the distinction when asked how he put together the 1980 Olympic gold medal team: “I’m not looking for the best players. I’m looking for the right ones.” His players complemented one another. There was a compatibility and collaborative mindset that you should consider when looking for the right musical partners. Chemistry: There must be something that creates a bond between and your potential band mates. Keep in mind, the right chemistry at the beginning of a musical relationship might have an expiration date. We’ve all heard tales time and time again about the band that broke up due to personality and ego conflicts, especially as fame grew. Different personalities can strengthen a group, but only if they fit together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. The chemistry of successful musical groups makes “the whole greater than the sum of the parts.” You can’t force it. You either have chemistry or you don’t. Work Ethic/Values: When considering partnering with someone, a conversation—call it an interview—is needed. Music is a business, whether you play for free or make your living at it and going into a partnership requires due diligence. Conversation points should include: · Does your potential partner show up on time to performances? · Do they value the time together practicing? · Do they lead with their strengths and follow in the areas where they’re not as strong? · Do they listen to feedback with receptivity? While partnering may help you share the burden of being a business, it could also be a hindrance depending on whether or not you share similar values. Priorities/Lifestyle: A successful partnership that provides long-term reward for all concerned should be built on matching priorities and values. Don’t look for a partner whose principles align 100% with yours. That would be impossible. But there are flags that might signal a longer conversation. If your potential band mate is single, foot loose and fancy free, and you have time commitments outside of the partnership, will that be a problem? Will you be able to play a spur-of-the-moment after-hours gig across town that your partner wants to take? It’s not like the situation will come up every night. The point is values and priorities are a vital part of any conversation among potential partners. Music Style Clarinetist Lisa Canning, writing in SBOmagazine.com (“Essential Tips and Tricks for Teaching Woodwinds in the Classroom – Part 1”) makes an important point regarding compatibility of music styles. “The principal player in the orchestra, John Fullam and I sounded identical. You couldn’t tell where he started a musical phrase or when I ended one because we sounded identical. And what a joy it was playing with him!” Each took a different path to get to their similar playing style, but the result was beautiful music. In a partnership, attributes and nuances may vary, but the overall style is crucial. Unless one wants to experiment with the other’s style, and the other is willing to be patient and tolerant, a baroque style on flute may enhance a minuet, but not if the clarinetist is strictly classical. Communication: Exchanging ideas and information is the foundation of any group dynamic. This is yet another facet of the partnership that involves different styles, but the right partner(s) will communicate in a compatible, collaborative way. Music is an artform and musicians are artists. Hurt feelings can arise quickly and if negative issues aren’t addressed in the moment, resentment can rapidly fester. What started as a duet could turn into a dual! Miscommunications will happen, guaranteed. But swiftly addressing problems can just as quickly dissolve them. Talk about communication in the pre-partnership conversation. Get a handle on one another’s style. Do you listen when the other person is talking, or are you just waiting for your turn to talk? Do people have to pry words out of you, or do you say whatever pops into your mind? You’ll get a good idea during that conversation if your communication styles can sync, and how much variance you can tolerate. Also remember that it’s just as important to communicate positive things. Acknowledge your partner’s savvy suggestion, skillful technique, or how much you enjoy playing with them. As long as you’re being genuine, good vibes penetrate far deeper than sour notes.